Recent studies suggest that thousands of genes may contribute to breast cancer pathophysiologies when deregulated by genomic or epigenomic events. Here, we describe a model "system" to appraise the functional contributions of these genes to breast cancer subsets. In general, the recurrent genomic and transcriptional characteristics of 51 breast cancer cell… (More)

Cellular senescence, which is associated with aging, is a process by which cells enter a state of permanent cell cycle arrest, therefore constituting a potent tumor suppressive mechanism. Recent studies show that, despite the beneficial effects of cellular senescence, senescent cells can also exert harmful effects on the tissue microenvironment. The most… (More)

Cigarette smoke and smokeless tobacco extracts contain multiple carcinogenic compounds, but little is known about the mechanisms by which tumors develop and progress upon chronic exposure to carcinogens such as those present in tobacco products. Here, we examine the effects of smokeless tobacco extracts on human oral fibroblasts. We show that smokeless… (More)

ERBB2 amplification and overexpression in human breast cancer is associated with poor outcome. However, over-expression of ERBB2 alone is an early event in breast tumorigenesis, suggesting secondary events are required for progression. Here we demonstrate that the Ets transcription factor, ESX, induces an invasive phenotype in breast epithelial cells… (More)